Monday Dots: Riding High into Monday

We are in the middle of a change in destination

When the train stops, all together we will smile

Oh, come on, come on now meet me in the morning

Won’t you meet me in the middle of the Dots, Dots Dots.

• It was the greatest weekend in at least half of a decade for Husky football, and there are lots of good feelings to go around. Mike Vorel writes about how quickly the Dawgs have reverted to form- as a ranked team, as a Pac-12 contender, and as a fearsome host for visiting teams. The transition has been so immediate that it has negated the preseason talk of a transition year.

• The positive vibes are extending through the whole conference. Jon Wilner discusses the surge in the PNW, with UW and Oregon both decisively beating top-12 teams in a span of seven hours. Two new coaches, two statement wins. The Husky-Duck rivalry remains one to be seen.

• Matt Calkins goes deep on a subject we have all observed through three games: Michael Penix isn’t just a stopgap at QB, he’s a legitimate star. From his arm strength to his precision to his mastery of the offense, Penix has been the total package and drastically changed the offensive threat level.

• We knew that the win was likely to pay dividends on the recruiting trail, but we didn’t know we would see those dividends within one day. WR Landon Bell and Edge Jaxson Jones, both three-star prospects from the class of 2024, committed to UW on Sunday after visiting campus for the Michigan State game. Who can blame them?

• Christian Caple aptly focused his game recap on the Husky Stadium fans. Less than a year after WSU players and fans celebrated on the field after drubbing the Dawgs, students stormed the field after beating the #11 team in the country. It is a stunning reversal and the electric crowd on Saturday played a substantial role.

• Also at The Athletic, Chris Vannini opened his ranking of all 131 team with praise for Deboer, Penix, and resurgent Huskies. He has UW up to #20 in the country.

• If you want to keep reliving the Michigan State game, check out Dawgman’s game grades. It’s always a good time to reminisce over a great game by ogling the lofty stats and grades.

• For more on the recruiting landscape, Real Dawg’s Mike Martin spoke to several visiting recruits this weekend and got their analysis of the live event experience and UW’s progress in general.